Summary

Rocks D. Xebec possessed some of the most powerful Haki in the series, surpassing even Roger, Garp, and Whitebeard.
Rocks wielded a Supreme Grade weapon, suggesting his strength was on par with other legendary figures of his time.
While speculated to possess an influential Devil Fruit power, Rocks was the leader of the strongest known pirate crew in history; the Rocks Pirates.

The debate about the most powerful character in One Piece is one of the most prevalent in the entire community. Although the general hierarchy is fairly obvious and the strongest few characters in the series' history are all currently known, fans often bicker about who in this tier is the greatest of them all. The most common answers here state that either Joyboy or Imu stand leagues above everyone else.

However, seeing how the events of Elbaf seem to set it up as the arc that will reveal the most about One Piece's lore, fans aren't ready for the reveal of the true strongest character in the series. In this article, let's go over everything that is currently known about Rocks D. Xebec which lends credence to the argument of him being the strongest pirate in history, perhaps even above Joyboy.

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One Piece: Why Rocks Was Stronger Than Roger, Explained

Rocks D. Xebec remains one of the most mysterious characters in the setting but his strength was legendary, even greater than Roger's!

Posts 1

By Haider Haroon Rasheed

Rocks Had The Greatest Haki Of The Entire Old Generation

Likelihood: Very High

Rocks must have needed powerful Haki to compete with Roger, Garp, and Whitebeard.

In the upper echelons of power of the One Piece world, the trend seems to be that proficiency in Haki transcends proficiency with Devil Fruits, which can be seen with top tiers such as Roger, Garp, and Whitebeard. During the God Valley Incident, Roger and Garp had to work together to defeat Rocks, which alone is a testament to his otherworldly power, most of which likely comes from Haki, since anyone without the Advanced Forms of the three Haki types couldn't think about contending with the Pirate King and Marine Hero, least of all together.

Only Haki can transcend all!

It's said that, unlike the other Haki types, Conqueror's Haki can't be learned since only one in a million people are born with it. The only commonality that every user of this ability has shown is great ambition, which we know Rocks had since he always wanted to overthrow the World Government and become the King of the World. To go up against Haki monsters like Roger and Garp together would have been impossible if Rocks' own Conqueror's Haki wasn't stronger than theirs.

Rocks Was The Wielder Of A Supreme Grade Weapon

Likelihood: Very High

Rocks' saber must have been a Supreme Grade due to the weapons of his rivals.

Supreme Grade weapons are the most powerful and durable in the entire One Piece world, with the only confirmed ones in the series being wielded by some of the strongest and most important characters in history. It's known that Roger and Whitebeard were equals, due to which they are considered by the fandom to be at the same level of strength as Rocks.

Without subtlety, a sword is but an iron bar.

This is important since both are known users of Supreme Grade Weapons; Roger's Ace and Whitebeard's Murakumogiri. As such, the silhouette of Rocks shown during Sengoku's recollection of God Valley showed him with a saber, and when connecting these pieces, it pretty much confirms that this weapon was a Supreme Grade, adding to his strength even more. The weapon was so legendary that Blackbeard named his ship after it.

One Piece: The Difference Between Supreme Grade Blades and Black Blades, Explained

Supreme Grade Blades are the most powerful weapons in One Piece, so where exactly do Black Blades fit into this trend or armaments?

Posts 3

By Haider Haroon Rasheed

Rocks Had One Of The Series' Most Powerful Devil Fruits

Likelihood: Low

Rocks and Blackbeard may have had the same Devil Fruit.

Ever since his very first appearance in the Jaya arc, Blackbeard has been shown to have had some notable similarities to Rocks, prompting many fans to believe that the two are connected somehow. This has led to some of the most popular One Piece theories, ranging from Blackbeard being Rock's son to the two of them being connected through their Devil Fruits. Due to Teach's strange body, which has been hinted at as having multiple people within it, many believe that one of these people was Rocks.

Fate has chosen me to conquer this world!

However, another popular theory has to do with Inherited Will, which is one of the franchise's most important concepts. Seeing as how Devil Fruits are hinted at having somewhat of a mind of their own, as Luffy's fruit purposefully avoided the World Government and chose him as the first inheritor of Nika in 800 years, many believe that due to the connections between Blackbeard and Rocks, the Yami Yami no Mi sought out Teach after Rocks' death, carrying his will and possible powers. This could prove Rocks' Devil Fruit power.

Rocks Was The Captain Of The Strongest Crew In History

Likelihood: Medium

The Rocks Pirates are the strongest known pirate crew of all time.

When it comes to the pirate crews in the series that have been shown, there is absolutely none that can even stand close to the Rocks Pirates. While it's true that Roger and Garp were both likely around Rocks' level of strength, their crews, compared to the Rocks Pirates, were gravely outmatched, mostly because of the fact that there was no proper relationship or structure to it since every member was only in it to fulfill their own goals.

Their captain, Rocks, aimed to become Pirate King. And he bared the fangs of his crew at the World Government, almost like a terrorist organization.

However, the reason why this strengthens Rocks' case for being the strongest pirate in history is because he was the captain, implying that he was the greatest out of all of these heavy hitters. Of course, Whitebeard was relative to him, as were Roger and Garp, but the fact that he maintained a position over all these powerhouses definitely shows that he was the strongest pirate of his age, perhaps even of all time. However, Joyboy's crew during his time was likely the strongest, but until they're shown, the Rocks Pirates take the cake.